講義概要/Course description
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Course Title: Secret Asian (Agent) Man: Asian American Literary Spies
Over the course of this year in two semesters, our readings will center on works by two Asian American authors that feature at their hearts male double agents or spies. In this first semester, we will read Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Sympathizer (2015), and deeply explore its subject matter of the Vietnam War and refugees to the US, as well as issues of the CIA, torture, and Cold War politics. Indeed, we will read several stories by Nguyen from his collection, The Refugees (2017), as well.
The Sympathizer allows us to examine not only the themes of Asian and American stereotypes as a problem of translation, but also ideas of divided political and cultural ideologies and loyalties raised in the novel. We will excerpt key moments from Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalype Now (1979) as it makes up a vital metafictional thread in the novel, and for historical background we will counter Hollywood with clips from Ken Burns's encyclopedic documentary series, The Vietnam War.
In the second semester, we will read Chang-Rae Lee's Native Speaker (1995). Despite subject matter focused on different countries, cultures, and languages across East and Southeast Asia, these two novels nonetheless share a remarkable focus on the same war-torn Cold War era, partitioned nations, and Asian masculine identities troubled by cultural assimilation pressures in the US. Each offers a unique perspective on geopolitical effects on individual lives. Readings and assignments may at any time be modified from those on the syllabus to accommodate student interests, talents and background, as well as enrollment numbers.
*Please be aware that uploading course content, including instructor video recordings, to any third-party site or sharing with others in any way, including email and chat platforms, is strictly PROHIBITED and can result in severe penalties by the university and the professor in this course. **When there is any discrepancy between the instructions or materials on the Syllabus versus those in the Folder each week as a Lesson Plan and/or sent by email, ALWAYS the updated information in real time in the folder and by email should take precedence and be followed; however, when in doubt, contact the professor directly by email or via CP
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達成目標/Course objectives
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The ONLINE course has two main objectives: (1) To gain foundational knowledge of two representative novels of American culture and literature in their respective historical contexts in English from semester to semester over the course of the academic year; (2) To foster critical thinking and writing skills through comparative analysis and discussion, close reading of language use in texts, and short writing tasks. NB: The course will adjust and adapt tothe real-time demands of our educational environment and the individual needsof students as classes proceed and the professor identifies how best to meetthe objectives of the course
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履修条件(事前に履修しておくことが望ましい科目など)/Prerequisite
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In principle, there is no prerequisite for this course. However, please note: Students who attend and fail the first semester of this course cannot take the second semester. Without the permission of the professor, students cannot take this course for two consecutive years if they passed the course already and/or the course content is the same. Please contact the professor of the course if you have questions about these policies.
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授業計画/Lecture plan
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1
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授業計画/Class |
Introduction to the course, capsule history of Vietnam in historical context; Review of Syllabus, Textbook, Course Plan, Online Use
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事前学習/Preparation |
Confirm class and room number.Familiarize yourself with Course Power, if you have not used it before, andmake sure you have a university email address or an address registered to yourCourse Power account.
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事後学習/Reviewing |
If you do not have a computer at home, make sure you have familiarity with the computer stations on campus and their hours ofoperation and access Course Power for our class. If you are required to buy or order a book for this class, do so immediately. Contact the professor if you have any questions or problems.
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2
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授業計画/Class |
Read stories from The Refugees (posted to CoursePower): Black-Eyed Women and The War Years
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事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them
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事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture.
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3
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授業計画/Class |
Read stories from The Refugees (posted to CoursePower): Fatherland and The Americans
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事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes,and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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4
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 1 and 2 in The Sympathizer
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事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes,and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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5
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 3 and 4 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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6
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 4 and 5 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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7
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 6 and 7 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes,and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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8
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 8 and 9 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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9
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 10 and 11 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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10
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 12 and 13 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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11
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 14 and 15 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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12
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 16 and 17 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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13
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 18 and 19 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture.
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14
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授業計画/Class |
Read Chapters 20 and 21 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture |
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15
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授業計画/Class |
Read the last two Chapters 22 and 23 in The Sympathizer |
事前学習/Preparation |
Print out and read the texts posted to Course Power, and annotate them |
事後学習/Reviewing |
Review notes, and type up main points from discussion and lecture. |
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授業方法/Method of instruction
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Depending on the enrollment numbers and size of this course, the course will be carried out as a mix of lecture using visual and written materials and incorporating class discussion whenever possible. As needed, media from internet and film, as well as primary document sources, will be introduced.
This course will consist of required readings and homework assignments based on them plus online recorded video and website materials for students to view before class and online. During classtime as scheduled real-time for 40 minutes to one hour each week, the professor will be available for students who wish to join for discussion or questions on Zoom. All are welcome but joining this part of the class is NOT REQUIRED.
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成績評価方法/Evaluation
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1 |
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100%
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Evaluation will be based on proper engagement with the ONLINE elements of this course, the materials, and the professor, which includes reading the materials, taking and reviewing notes from lecture and discussion, participating in group work (if asked to do so) and opportunities for online discussion, and taking all quizzes and tests. Students must abide by course policies.
Quizzes: 4 x 15% = 60% Class Preparation, Engagement: 20% Final Test: 20%
通年: Evaluation will be calculated for each semester based on the above Evaluation scheme and then averaged for both semesters to get the final grade
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教科書/Textbooks
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| 著者名 Author | タイトル Title | 出版社 Publisher | 出版年 Published year | コメント Comments |
1 |
Viet Thanh NGUYEN
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The Sympathizer
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Grove Press
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2015
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PLEASE purchase this book in paperback RIGHT AWAY by an online domestic vendor such as Maruzen or Kinokuniya as soon as possible; e-book versions from Amazon are also possible and fastest (paperback ISBN: 978-1-4721-5138-0; ebook ISBN: 978-1-4721-5138-4). PDFs of other readings, including stories from The Refugees, will be made available on CoursePower.
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メッセージ/Message
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Please purchase standard paperback editions of the novel for each semester for this course at the start of each term, if possible but the digital, e-book edition for the first semester is possible. It is vital to have the book in hand by the first or second class at the latest so purchase your book in advance, please. Other materials will be provided as online materials or pdfs via CoursePower. Do not order physical books to be sent from overseas as that can take too long; when ordering books online, do not confuse the 発送 time to send and 届ける予定 estimated time to arrival at your home!
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